Aug 17, 2011

It’s amazing what you can accomplish with technology in a single morning. Instead of spending hours flying over the Atlantic, I was able to “meet” (via Skype) with staffers from PCG (Professional Contractors Group), a London-based professional association for freelancers, contractors, and consultants. I had been fortunate enough to meet them in person in April, and our most recent Skype conversation reaffirmed the usefulness of sharing information in order to better support freelancers across the globe. Both Freelancers Union and PCG have found that one of the biggest issues is actually counting independent workers and helping more people (including freelancers) understand the difference between working independently rather than as traditional employees. We also see that people working in certain occupations and industries or living in certain geographical areas more clearly identify with being “self-employed” or “consultants” rather than “freelancers”, which impacts how we reach out to such workers. For the third year, PCG is organizing a “National Freelancers Day”, this year to be held on November 23, to focus on how important freelancers are to the economy. We’ll keep you in the loop on how we plan to collaborate and hope you’ll set aside some time pre-Thanksgiving to connect with the broader freelance community. Freelancers Union and PCG will be having upcoming Skype meetings to continue to share ideas on how to tackle issues that affect freelancers internationally, from outdated tax laws and unpaid wages to freelancer identity.